


Sleeping with a Friend

by serohtonin



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Friends With Benefits, Hand Jobs, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Light Angst, M/M, Masturbation, Mentions Of Infidelity, Mutual Masturbation, Phone Sex, Rimming, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-03
Updated: 2014-05-03
Packaged: 2018-01-21 17:28:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1558334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serohtonin/pseuds/serohtonin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darren shows his appreciation of Chris' work, and their relationship quickly evolves into something more than just friends. Set in 2012.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleeping with a Friend

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Glee or any of the entities or people mentioned. The plot surrounding these real-life events is complete fiction. Title taken from the Neon Trees song of the same name.

Watching Chris work always takes Darren's breath away.

By the time Chris finishes, Darren is close to tears, not only for his performance, but because some of the lines he had said weren't just words on a page:

_"...I remember being taunted about being gay. I was called a faggot. I was called a homo, a queer. It was scary going into that building, realizing these kids were taunting me with a word that was so close to the truth. I would go home crying."_

Darren's heart breaks a little, the performance so much more poignant when he recalls Chris' not-too-distant past in the hallways of Clovis, far from Darren's own accepting, heteroflexible adolescence.

Despite Chris' success since then, he looked so haunted up on that stage, and yet, still so beautiful.

"Man, you were amazing up there," he tells Chris in the restroom after the performance.

"Thanks," Chris looks down, a pretty blush blooming across his cheeks. "But I'm not sure if you should be telling me that with your dick out."

"Shouldn't I?" He raises an eyebrow, challenging Chris to look at him. "I mean, you dry humped me in a car a few months ago, and we have rolled around on a bed together. I'd say we're acquainted enough to have a conversation while we're both taking a piss."

Chris zips up. "Ever the mature professional, Dare."

He zips up, too. "That's me. Anyway, I was trying to compliment you, so take it."

"Fine."

"Fine."

They stand there, staring at each other, until Chris breaks out into a grin that Darren wishes he could kiss away.

So, Darren brushes a brief peck to Chris' lips, and then he instinctively presses harder to deepen it.

Chris kisses back after a moment, and Darren's fingers twitch at his sides, wanting to reach out and grab Chris' face, like he had on stage during their skit, but he stops short.

Chris blinks in surprise. "Dare, what was that?"

"I don't know, a congratulations kiss? So, uh, congratulations."

Darren quickly rinses his hands in the sink, rushing out the door, but Chris catches him by the wrist.

"Darren, wait. We should talk about this. Come over later, okay?"

"Okay."

\----

"You kissed me," Chris states matter-of-factly, looking straight ahead while Darren sits next to him on the couch.

"Yeah."

"And I kissed you back."

"Uh huh."

Chris finally looks over at him. "So."

All Darren can think is that Chris isn't close enough.

"So," Darren sidles up next to Chris and daringly rests a hand on the other man's knee, "wanna do it again?"

Chris eyes him suspiciously. "Dare, I--This isn't what I meant by talking."

"Talking is stupid."

"Darren."

Darren cups Chris' cheek in his hand. "Chris, please."

"Wh--Why?"

But Darren doesn't answer, isn't sure how to; he only knows that he can't resist Chris' lips.

Darren kisses him softly at first, and then deeper, in an echo of what happened earlier, until he lays Chris down, peppering kisses along his neck.

"Dare, I--"

"Is this okay?"

"Y-yeah, but--"

"What?"

"Talking," Chris reminds him, but he clutches Darren's curls tightly, keeping him close.

"Uh huh. Right," Darren grins into Chris' collarbone, sucking at a spot near the neckline of Chris' t-shirt, which has the other man arching into him.

"Fuck, you taste so good."

Darren's name falls from Chris' lips like a plea.

"Yeah? What d'you want?" Darren wonders, his hands straying beneath the hem of Chris' shirt.

"I dunno, but don't stop."

Chris lay underneath him like an offering Darren was never sure he wanted, or could ever have, until this moment.

So many possibilities run through Darren's mind, but he settles on something simple.

"Wanna get you off," Darren blurts out, playing with the waistband of Chris' sweats.

"Yeah, okay," Chris breathes out.

With that, Darren slips his hand in Chris' pants, wrapping it around his bare cock.

Though it's the same basic concept, touching Chris is so different from jerking himself off. The angle is an awkward adjustment, but it's worth it to hear Chris' quiet moans.

"Don't hold back," Darren says into Chris' ear. "Wanna hear you."

Chris grunts in response when Darren's thumb brushes under the head.

"Yeah. C'mon," Darren encourages with a few more strokes.

"Fuck," Chris nearly growls.

Darren chances a look up from where his hand is moving in Chris' pants, up to his face.

Chris' mouth opens in a small o shape, his eyes flutter shut, and there's a flush high on his cheeks, like when they used to practice choreography together with the rest of their castmates, or when they've been under the hot lights of the set all day.

It's fucking beautiful.

No, beautiful isn't the right word, not nearly enough to describe what Darren sees before him.

Mesmerizing, maybe.

Astounding, so much so that Darren's hand stills in wonder, until Chris clears his throat and says, "God, Dare. Don't fucking stop."

Darren does as he's told, cupping Chris' face with his free hand and kissing him senseless while Chris spills over Darren's fist.

Darren continues to kiss him through it, and his whole world reduces to nothing but Chris.

Luckily, Darren's own growing arousal doesn't give him time to dwell on what that might mean. Instead, he unbuckles his pants to draw his own dick out.

"Dare, let me--" Chris offers breathlessly.

"'S okay. You don't have to."

"But I--"

The rest is lost over the loud _whoosh_ in Darren's ears when he comes embarrassingly quickly all over himself and Chris' shirt.

"Sorry, man," Darren apologizes as soon as he remembers where he is and who he's with.

"Darren, it's fine. We're fine," Chris laughs contently.

"Good," he sighs into Chris' neck, relaxing on top of him.

Chris hums happily, and Darren swears he'd do anything to hear that sound again.

Darren tries not to dwell on that, however, as they lie still, Chris yawning and petting Darren's hair.

"I, um, I feel a little exposed," Darren chuckles but makes no move to cover himself.

"Not much less than that time you had to pull me into the backseat of a car with all those cameras watching. I could tell you were enjoying it, if your physical reaction was any indication."

Darren awkwardly tucks himself back in, and his face heats up at the memory of that night; they talked and laughed through the long hours, as they often did, both on camera and off, but when Chris climbed on top of him, he couldn't laugh away his obvious arousal, internally attributing it to inhabiting Blaine's skin for too long.

Now, he wasn't so sure if that was true, but he explains himself anyway:

"It's called Method acting, Chris. You probably wouldn't get it, being a natural and all."

"Oh, is that why you wear bowties so often?"

"Yes, exactly."

"Ahh, I see. Is this also why we're covered in each other's come right now?"

Darren would normally have a quick comeback, but this time, he doesn't.

"I dunno. I think I should go."

"Dare, it's okay. Don't worry about it."

But, suddenly Darren's heart is racing and his mouth goes dry.

"I really need to go. I'm sorry."

Darren buckles his pants, carefully avoiding Chris' eyes, until Chris gently touches Darren's hand.

When he looks up, Darren finds nothing but sincerity in those stormy blue-gray eyes.

"Darren, seriously. It's alright."

" 'Night, Chris," he half-heartedly smiles and doesn't even bother to clean himself off before he rushes out the door.

\----

Chris tries to bring up what happened between them next time they're back at work, but Darren avoids the subject, feigning interest in his phone or in their coworkers' conversations.

Darren avoids Chris altogether between takes, but acts every bit the lovestruck teenager during the scene, allowing himself to stare at the strong curve of Chris' jaw, the sharp jut of his nose, and the gentle bow of his lips.

He wonders if Chris still tastes like the cream cheese he generously spread over his craft services bagel this morning.

Chris grins when the director calls cut. "What?"

"Nothing," Darren replies casually.

"Sure," Chris snickers. "Character bleed?"

Darren shrugs and scratches the back of his neck. "Um, yes."

"Right," Chris smiles again, and then leans in. "Listen, if you wanna talk about the other night--"

"No, no. I'm good."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Totally fine."

Before Chris can reply, the director calls to start rolling again, and Darren returns to staring at his co-star.

As his eyes follow the rise and fall of Chris' chest, he thinks back to when he laid his head on that very spot and could hear the other man's heartbeat pounding in his ears, even as he lay in bed alone later that night.

Then, he has to look away, shyly, under the guise of a smitten Blaine, his cheeks heating up as he feels the weight of Chris' gaze on him.

When the director calls cut again, Darren's never been more glad for a break, so he excuses himself quickly and rushes out of the choir room doors, hoping Chris won't follow.

Alas, when Darren slumps down on the floor in front of the lockers, he hears the clicking of boots against the fake linoleum.

"Hey! We're not done shooting, Dare. We should really get back," Chris tells him, though Darren doesn't look up.

"Yeah, I just had to get some air," he mumbles, with his head against his bent knees.

"You're not gonna get air like that," Chris chuckles.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Chris parks himself next to Darren on the floor.

"You're not fine."

"I told you, I'm okay," Darren assures.

"This doesn't have to be a thing between us. We're both grownups, and professionals. At least, I know you pretend to be."

"You're right. Can we just forget that the other night ever happened?"

As soon as Darren says it, though, he knows it's a mistake, because he doesn't want to forget, not when all he's been thinking about while he takes himself in hand at night are the taste of Chris' lips and the sounds he made in the midst of arousal.

"Sure, if you want to," Chris replies.

Darren finally gains the courage to look at Chris. "I don't know. I mean, it was really good, right?"

"Hmm, yeah. It was," Chris says thoughtfully.

"What if we do it again?"

"Darren Criss, are you saying you want to have to sex with me?"

"Yeah, but your boyfriend--"

"He's not my boyfriend. I'm not exclusively seeing anyone. What about--?"

"Doesn't matter. This could stay between us, yeah?" Darren answers quickly before he can even think about the implications.

All he can think of is the possibility of being with Chris again.

Chris responds with, "I'll have to think about it," and then stands up, offering Darren a hand. "We should finish shooting first, yeah?"

Darren gladly accepts. "Thanks. Yeah."

Chris pulls Darren up to him and whispers, "Just so you know, I'm strongly considering it."

Darren's breath hitches, and suddenly, Chris turns around, heading back to set.

\----

A few days later, Chris shows up at Darren's door.

"I want to," is how Chris greets him.

Darren's eyes widen hopefully. "You mean--?"

Chris nods, his bright ocean blues lingering over Darren's frame. "Yeah. Yes."

"Well, then. Come in. Please."

Chris brushes past Darren on his way into the living room. "We need to lay down some ground rules first."

"Oh, um, of course. I made dinner, if you want something to eat."

Chris sits on the couch, and Darren joins him, careful to keep a cushion of space between them.

"Darren, it's okay. We're not dating or anything. You don't have to."

"I know. I didn't even know you were coming, but, you're my friend, and I have plenty of risotto left, so, it'll be my treat," Darren shrugs.

Chris raises an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't think you had the patience for that sort of thing."

Darren chances moving closer, so their thighs touch, and whispers in Chris' ear, "It turns out that I'm full of surprises, Colfer."

"I--I guess so. Can you get me some, then?"

Darren lays a hand on Chris' knee, and nips at Chris' earlobe.

"Oh, I can totally get you some, Chris."

"Does that line ever work, Dare?" Chris asks breathlessly.

"You already agreed to sleep with me, so I'd say it's kind of a moot point."

"Shut up."

"Oh, really? I can do that."

Darren grabs Chris' hip with his free hand and kisses him on the lips briefly.

"Ugh, you're such an asshole," Chris murmurs before kissing him again. "Y'know, I'm really not that hungry anymore."

"Yeah?"

"Uh huh, but rules first, okay?"

"Sure," Darren answers, dragging his lips to the corner of Chris' mouth and across his cheek.

"First, no discussing who else we may or may not be dating, unless it's relevant to our sexual health."

Darren's heart clenches when he hears Chris say _we_ and _our._ "Yeah, okay. I promise to be safe, if you do, too."

Darren can't possibly think of being with anyone else, though, as his hand trails up Chris' shirt.

"Okay. Good. Number two, should any serious feelings develop with other people, we'll end this, and if either of us start to have feelings for each other, we'll work through it then."

Darren freezes. "Yeah, that makes sense. Work through it how?"

"Does it matter?" Chris laughs. "You really think you might fall in love with me or something?"

Darren searches Chris' face, his sparkling blue eyes, perfectly tousled hair, amused smile, and chuckles, "That's crazy. I mean, you're hot, but, yeah, no. That's not gonna happen."

"I'm hot, huh?"

Chris pushes Darren flat against the couch cushions, so that Darren's staring up at him.

"Yeah, Chris, you kind of are."

Chris tilts his head in consideration, and then grins. "You don't need to flatter me. I already agreed to sleep with you."

Chris leans in for a kiss, but Darren interrupts him.

"Wait, sleep or...?" Darren trails off, waggling his eyebrows and running his hand up Chris' sides.

Chris takes Darren's hands and pins them above their heads. "What do you think?"

"I--"

Before Darren can finish, Chris kisses Darren's open mouth, sucking on his bottom lip. Darren tenses at the shock, but quickly kisses back with fervor, pressing as much of his body as he can into it.

"Does that answer your question?" Chris finally asks.

Darren simply nods.

"What do you want, Dare?"

"T--this is good," he manages uncertainly.

"Okay. How about this?"

Chris slots a leg between Darren's thighs, pressing against the growing bulge in his pants, and then brushes his lips along Darren's neck.

Darren arches into it, just a little.

"I see," Chris says, and returns to kissing Darren's neck, but it's not enough.

"Touch me," Darren urges.

"Like this?" Chris wonders while he reaches inside Darren's pants and strokes him slowly.

"A little, unhh, rougher. Fuck. Wish you could mark me," he blurts out as Chris sucks at a spot near the neckline of Darren's shirt.

"You sure? I can," Chris strokes him harder and mouths along Darren's jaw, "if you let me take your shirt off."

"God, yes," is Darren's enthusiastic reply.

Chris stops his ministrations for a second and unclasps his other hand from Darren's own, making Darren whimper, until Chris pulls back to look at him.

"I've got you," Chris assures him with a smile.

Darren finds himself smiling back.

Then, Darren briefly forgets the fluttering in his stomach when Chris' lips land on Darren's bare chest, and Chris' hand continues working over Darren's dick.

"Fuck," Darren winces in pain as Chris' teeth break the skin, but he grips Chris' hair to hold him there.

Chris' hand slips to the base, thumb grazing over Darren's balls. The grip is dry and a little uncomfortable, yet somehow still enough to make Darren start shaking.

"Shit, I'm gonna--" Darren starts.

"Yeah, that's it," Chris encourages, mouthing a trail up Darren's chest. "C'mon."

With that, and a few more strokes, Darren comes quietly all over Chris' fist.

Darren closes his eyes, sated and ready to drift off with the warm weight of Chris holding him down, until he remembers how selfish he's acting.

"Chris, you, um--lemme get you off, too."

As soon as Chris says, _"yes,"_ Darren gropes for Chris' cock.

After a couple jerks, Chris moans Darren's name as he reaches his release.

Darren can't wait to hear that sound again.

They lay there quietly, as Darren rubs Chris' lower back, and Chris kisses Darren's shoulder.

As Darren's hands roam lower, Chris clears his throat.

"I probably shouldn't stay," Chris tells him.

"But we can--"

"Oh, I know," he nips at the base of Darren's neck, "and we will, but not tonight."

He kneads Chris' ass, enjoying the feel of it in his hands. "Y'know, I've thought about this for so long," Darren admits in his afterglow haze. "Watching you in dance rehearsal is torture."

"How long?" Chris wonders, grinding back against the touch.

"At least since the tour," he gulps nervously.

"Almost _a year?_ Why didn’t you say anything?"

"I, um--" he stops, unable to amend that he’s probably felt something between them since their very first handshake. "I didn't want to fuck up our friendship, or our working relationship."

"What changed?"

"I don’t know. I felt like I needed to compliment you after the play."

Chris' brow furrows in confusion. "By kissing me?"

"Uh, yeah."

 _Because you've continually amazed me ever since I met you,_ he wants to add, but it feels like too much somehow.

"If that’s the way you compliment someone’s talent, then you’re the creepiest fanboy ever."

"Hey," Darren smirks, "you gave me a handjob on my couch, so I’d say it worked out in my favor."

"Hmm, good point."

"I do have some of those on occasion."

"Maybe," Chris grins, cupping Darren's cheek and kissing him on the mouth, "but mine tend to be better."

"I’m not gonna argue with that."

Darren blinks up at Chris and pulls him back in for another kiss, catching Chris' top lip in his teeth.

Chris lets out a little whimper when they break apart, so Darren kisses him again, before saying, "Stay. You should stay."

"Darren, not tonight. We just started this, and--"

He presses a kiss to the corner of Chris’ mouth. "We could continue it."

"Mmm, y'know, I do need some sleep before we have to go in tomorrow."

Darren sighs. "Why do you have to be so responsible?"

"It's a gift," Chris answers quickly as he awkwardly buttons his pants. "I should go clean up before I leave."

"Yeah, sure," Darren shrugs, a twinge of disappointment hitting him as he watches Chris walk toward the bathroom.

Then, he remembers they’ll probably have other nights like this, with the opportunity to explore their newly acknowledged attraction.

He can’t wait.

\----

He does, though, for a very long few weeks, imagining what he’ll do when Chris is finally in his bed (or on his couch, or in his kitchen, or against his door). The distraction of long work days leaves Darren exhausted and unable to relieve any tension, until one day, he’s had enough.

Darren’s eyes widen as he sees Chris walk out of wardrobe in gold pants so tight that the thin material barely stretches over the outline of Chris’ cock.

"Ugh, it would have been easier to have these painted on," Chris chuckles.

"I, um, yeah," Darren swallows, reaching down to adjust his own wardrobe pants, now seemingly even tighter.

"You okay?" Chris smirks.

"Yeah. Let’s go. I’ll talk to you later."

"Hold on. Be right back."

Chris spins around and heads back into the trailer, emerging a few minutes later with black tearaway pants on top of the other ones.

Then, they walk silently to the set, Darren pointedly looking down at the ground in an attempt to control his breathing and not think about screwing up their clothes by taking Chris’ dick in his hand, or down his throat.

"Shit," Darren mutters.

It’s been a long time since he wanted to suck someone off, and even longer since he actually had the opportunity to act on it.

"Today’s gonna be a long day," Darren remarks offhandedly.

"As opposed to every other day, Dare?"

"You don’t even know the half of it."

Suddenly, Darren’s back is against the studio door, with Chris’ hands bracketing his arms.

"So, tell me," Chris says, his face so close that it’s dizzying.

"That would not help us finish this scene on time," Darren murmurs, quickly glancing down to Chris’ lips.

Chris turns his head to look around the lot, rife with various staff members and extras. "You’re right. Later?"

"Y-yes," he stutters out, all his blood rushing south once again.

Darren’s arousal dies down a little once he meets Whoopi Goldberg, who’s playing the renowned NYADA dean Carmen Tibideaux, but then when he slips into character, his feelings grow complicated.

He sits in awe of what Chris can do when he turns into Kurt, revealing those flashy pants with confidence, then crawling across a piano, and writhing his hips, all while lip synching to his own vocals.

Though Darren's witnessed these talents up close several times before, this time, he doesn't stop himself from fantasizing what those hips might look like naked, Chris' cock bouncing between them as he rides Darren.

While Darren shakes his head, they stop rolling and Chris regroups, standing up in the middle of the stage for another take. A cameraman says something too far away for Darren to hear, which makes Chris laughs loudly.

Darren can't help laughing, too.

"Oh, you have it bad, don't you?" Lea smiles at Darren knowingly.

"What are you talking about? I do not," he scoffs, turning toward her, and then back to the stage, where Chris is stretching. "Damn, he's really flexible."

"You're so obvious. You totally wanna have sex with him."

"Shut up," Darren tells her, his eyes glued to Chris' ass in those pants.

Lea puts a hand on Darren's knee. "It's okay. It's not like I haven't thought of it, too, or tried it. I mean, I don't have the right parts, but--"

He shakes off her touch. "Lea!"

"What? Can you blame me?"

"Not really, no."

Lea gasps. "I knew it! You want him."

"Maybe," Darren confesses.

"He wants you, too, y'know."

Darren feigns shock. "Huh. I never noticed."

"Please. He's always eyefucking you when he thinks you're not looking, or sometimes even when you are looking."

"Lea. That's fucking insane."

You know it’s not, Darren,” Lea says seriously. “You should go after him."

"Maybe I will."

\----

Darren takes Lea’s advice as soon as they wrap up, meeting Chris on the stage. "Come to my trailer in five. Don’t change," Darren tells him, clutching Chris’ hip.

"Okay," Chris agrees.

\----

Chris meets him ten minutes later, out of breath. "Sorry, I couldn’t make it sooner. I--"

"Don’t care. Wanna blow you so bad," Darren interrupts, licking a trail of sweat from Chris’ neck.

Chris squeezes Darren’s arm. "Unnh, seriously?"

" 'Course. Those fucking pants, Chris. I can't even think about anything else."

"But I thought--"

"Don't think."

Darren grabs Chris' face with both hands and kisses his mouth.

"Okay. Yeah," Chris whispers, and then Darren's kissing him and unbuttoning Chris' shirt.

He's seen Chris' bare chest before, but always in a rush of costume changes, where other people were around and he didn't have time to linger, but now he does exactly that, a thrill running through him as he presses his mouth to the middle of Chris' chest.

Darren trails his lips further down, until he reaches the waistband of Chris' pants. Then, he nuzzles against Chris' fly. "Fuck, you knew _exactly_ what you were doing when you walked out in these."

"Maybe. Didn't realize you liked dick so much."

"Maybe I like _your_ dick," Darren says. "Can I--?"

"Yes."

Darren licks up the shaft and then sucks at the head, making sure he tongues at the slit.

Spurred on by Chris' moans of _"oh my God, yes,"_ Darren takes Chris further down his throat, wrapping his hand around the base.

He remembers to work his jaw and hollow his cheeks just enough to create the perfect amount of suction.

Chris grabs the back of Darren’s head roughly, and although Darren's hair is gelled into oblivion, the touch is still painfully arousing. However, he resists the urge to get himself off in favor of Chris.

Darren tries not to think about what that might mean, and instead focuses on bobbing his head up and down and trying not to gag.

"Mmm, unhh, Dare, 'm gonna--" Chris warns, though Darren doesn't pull off and lets Chris' come flood his mouth, swallowing every last drop of the sticky and thick substance.

He stays on his knees, with Chris’ cock in his mouth, until he feels Chris go soft, and the sharp grip on his head becomes lazy petting.

A comforting warmth fills Darren as he finally pulls off to catch his breath, resting his forehead against Chris’ thigh.

"Whoa," Chris exclaims, still stroking Darren’s hair. "That was fucking amazing. Do you need--?"

"Nah, I’m good," Darren answers, though he’s straining in his pants. "No reason to ruin both our costumes, unless you’re footing the bill," he weakly laughs.

"Me? If anyone’s paying for this, it’s you. It was your idea to blow me in this outfit."

Darren squeezes Chris’ hip, using it as leverage to stand. "I didn’t hear you complaining."

Chris smirks and raises an eyebrow. "Would _you_ refuse a blow job?"

"Maybe."

"Liar."

Chris curves a hand over Darren’s waist, holding him close. He gives Darren a peck, and then smiles softly, before kissing him again.

"You sure you don’t want me to return the favor?" Chris pulls back to ask him, trailing his lips over Darren’s neck.

"Yeah. You don’t owe me anything, Chris."

"I know. It would be my pleasure," Chris replies, his hand starting toward the back of Darren’s pants.

Darren’s so close to the edge that it wouldn’t take much, and he can’t really refuse any longer. "O-okay," he tells Chris.

He lets Chris unbuckle his pants and jerk him off quickly.

"Wow. I didn’t realize I’d have to convince you to let me get you off," Chris remarks. "It’s only fair, y’know."

"But you, unhh, you don’t have to--"

"Yeah, I got that. I _want to._ Just, let me, alright?"

Then, on a rough upstroke, Darren shuts his eyes and spills over Chris' fist.

He opens them to see Chris smiling at him yet again, and drums down the fuzzy feeling coursing through him.

Darren breaks the silence between them with, "I, um, I should change."

"Yeah, yeah, me, too. See you at wardrobe?"

"Maybe."

"Okay." Chris kisses him again. "Was fun, yeah?"

" 'Course. That was kinda the point."

"We should be a little more careful next time, though."

"Next time?"

He leans into Darren’s ear and whispers, "Yes, next time. Bye, Dare." Then, he spins on his heel and slips out the door.

"Right. Next time," Darren says to himself, full of anticipation.

\----

A month and a half passes, however, and they don't get an opportunity to further their new physical relationship, due to the final push to wrap up the last few episodes of the season.

Darren's frustration reaches a desperate level, so much so that maybe, he's a bit too obvious at a public screening of the infamous gold pants episode. He sits next to Chris during the question and answer session after the showing, teasing him a bit too much, and maybe even leering a little during the mention of said gold pants.

He can't bring himself to care, though, until Chris confronts him afterward.

"Do you have to be so obvious, Darren?" Chris says under his breath as they're leaving.

"I'm sorry, but _those pants,"_ Darren whispers back.

"I'm fully aware of how you feel about the pants. I'm sure a lot of other people do, too, now. We don't need anyone asking questions."

"Like they don't already ask those kinds of questions."

Chris turns to face him angrily. "Yeah, they ask _me,_ not you, so can you please tone it down?"

Darren searches Chris' flushed face and bright eyes. Now probably isn't the time to tell him how hot he looks when he's pissed off.

He grabs Chris' wrist and strokes his thumb along Chris' pulse. "But it's been so long, Chris. I want you."

Chris pauses and looks down at the touch. "If you can be more discreet about it. The last thing we need is for someone to see something they shouldn't, and to make it more than what it is."

Darren reluctantly drops his hand from Chris. "Yeah, you're right. So, does this mean no more trailer sex?"

Chris grins. "I'll have to think about that." Then, he leans in close to Darren's ear to add, "We're almost done filming, anyway. Maybe we can make it to an actual bed for once."

Darren justs stutters after him as he watches Chris walk to his car and speed away from him, yet again.

\----

They finish filming season three and Darren finally has a short break between projects, so he texts Chris, even though he's sitting in his car outside Chris' house.

_Hey birthday boy._

Chris texts back:

_Do you need a calendar? It's not my birthday until next week._

Darren chuckles, practically hearing the snarky tone when he reads it, so he replies with:

_I know, but I figured I'd surprise you. Maybe we could celebrate early? Kick off our summer break right? ;)_

Darren takes a deep breath, and waits for a long few minutes until he gets a response:

_Oh, really? Is this a booty call?_

Darren laughs out loud nervously, wondering how he should answer when his phone beeps with another message from Chris:

_It's okay if it is._

Darren bites his lip, and then decides to dial Chris' number.

Chris barely lets out a greeting before Darren asks him, "Am I really that transparent?"

_"Well, the winking face kinda gave you away, Dare."_

"Curses! Foiled again by an emoticon."

Chris laughs, and lowers his voice. _"So, when are you coming over?"_

"Uh, now? Can you let me in?"

_"Oh my God! Did you call me from outside my house?"_

"Maybe I did."

_"Get in here, you idiot."_

Then, Chris hangs up.

Darren gets out and runs to Chris' door, knocking once before Chris opens it, pulling Darren in by the front of his sweatshirt, and slamming him against the closed door.

"I swear, if you were any other person--" Chris starts, but stops to kiss Darren hard.

Darren's already in a haze, staring down at Chris' lips as he pulls off. "If I were any other person, what?"

"I would have called the cops, and wondered how you managed to get past the gates of this neighborhood."

"Being on a successful TV show has its perks."

Darren grins before kissing him again, and curving his hands over Chris' sides.

"Like getting to fuck your hot co-star?" Chris offers when Darren's mouth drags along his neck.

"Mmm, yeah, but I haven't done that yet."

Chris moves Darren's hands down to his ass. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

He squeezes Chris' ass properly and trails his lips over Chris' jaw. "A sign. This is probably a good one."

"Ugh, just, shut up."

Darren takes the hint and kisses his mouth, sucking on Chris' top lip, and then the bottom one.

Chris pulls away for a second to slip his tongue inside, using the temporary distraction to drag Darren away from the door and towards Chris' room.

They keep kissing and fumbling their way up the stairs, when Darren manages to shrug off his hoodie and untuck Chris' shirt.

Once they reach the bedroom, Chris scoots up on his bed and strips off his own shirt.

Darren stands at the foot of bed and stares, but then he shakes it off and follows suit, crawling on top of Chris.

Kissing Chris like this is... _wow._ There's so much more heat when they're pressing skin to skin, and when he slots a leg between Chris', he already feels like flying out of his skin.

Darren's fingers twitch with the urge to grab Chris' face, some kind of anchor to bring him back to what he's doing, and who he's doing it with, but instead he goes for the button on Chris' pants.

"Yes," Chris breathes out, lifting his hips while Darren slips Chris' pants and underwear down his thighs and starts to jerk him off.

"Want you so fucking bad, Dare. Ohh," Chris continues, moaning as Darren nips at Chris' collarbone.

"I'm gonna--We're gonna--" is all Darren manages, stopping to mouth a trail down the middle of Chris' chest.

Unable to resist, he licks up the underside of Chris' cock and sucks at the head.

Chris nudges at the back of Darren's head, encouraging him to go further, but Darren pulls off and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

They've got other plans.

Darren wordlessly helps Chris out of his pants the rest of the way, until he asks, "You got any, um, stuff?"

"Yeah. 'Course," Chris chuckles, stretching over to his nightstand for lube and a condom. Once he retrieves them, he bends his knees and plants his feet flat on the bed. "Do you know how to...?"

Darren's mouth drops open as Chris spreads his legs, revealing his tight, pink asshole. Darren's dick twitches, knowing that soon he'll bury himself inside that perfect heat.

"Yes," Darren finally murmurs, grabbing the lube and coating his fingers with it.

Then, he presses one inside carefully, watching Chris take it better than expected.

"I can--unhh--two," Chris moans brokenly.

Darren obliges him, working both fingers in and out until he finds a spot that makes Chris cry out.

He pulls out to add more lube and a third finger, mesmerized by the way they disappear greedily inside him.

"Ugh, c'mon. I want _you,"_ Chris urges.

"Okay," Darren whispers, standing quickly and stepping out of his pants. "Okay, where's--?"

"Fuck, c'mere," Chris exclaims before pulling Darren in for an open-mouthed kiss. "I just--alright, fuck me."

He kisses Chris once more, blindly groping for the condom until he finds it, and then he pulls back, taking a moment to stare again at Chris, all that flushed, pale skin on display.

All Darren's, for now.

Darren grunts possessively, ripping open the foil wrapper with his teeth before sliding the condom on and guiding the head of his cock inside.

It's like everything Darren imagined it would be, except so much better, because it's real.

Chris' body grips him tightly, like a vise, but Darren pushes in a little further, and further, until he's fully seated.

Darren strains with sweat as he waits for Chris to adjust to him.

"You can, unhh, move."

Darren nods, pulling out almost all the way and slamming back in.

"Yeah, like that," Chris confirms, his heated gaze meeting Darren's own.

Darren grins wickedly at him, and does the exact opposite, thrusting agonizingly slow.

"Fuck you," Chris bites, digging his nails into Darren's spine.

Darren laughs and nibbles at Chris' earlobe. "Ahhh, 's what I'm doin'."

"God." Chris digs his fingers in harder. "Now is not the time--shit," he curses as Darren actually listens and picks up the pace.

"Told you," he exhales, grabbing Chris' hips as he drives into him with earnest.

Chris lifts one of his legs and wraps it around Darren's waist to keep him close. "Gonna--ohhh."

Darren's hand goes to Chris' cock, jerking him off in time with his thrusts.

"Mmm, yeah," Chris says quietly in Darren's ear.

"That's it," Darren encourages, shaking with his own need, but wanting Chris to get off first. "C'mon, come for me."

Chris only stares when Darren looks up at him, and then he spills over Darren's fist, with a, _"Yesss. Darren, yes."_

Darren wishes he could imprint the sound into his brain and play it on repeat every night.

He lazily works Chris over until he feels him soften, and then he wipes his hand on the sheet.

Darren returns to fucking into Chris' now-spent body a few more times, and calls Chris' name as he releases into the condom.

Darren stays there for a minute, burying his face into Chris' collarbone. Then, he pulls out and rolls off of him, tying off the condom and depositing it somewhere on Chris' floor.

"Whoa," Chris utters as he turns on his side. "That was a pretty great early birthday present," he laughs, brushing his lips over Darren's shoulder.

"How will anyone top that?"

"Y'know, there's a joke there," Chris smirks, "but I won't touch it."

Darren weakly grasps at Chris' cock. "I could."

"I take that back. Your present sucks."

"That it does." Darren grins, rolling back on top of Chris.

"You should make up for that lame joke. Come to my party?"

Darren nuzzles at Chris' neck. "Wait, I wasn't already invited?"

"Mmm, you were. I mentally uninvited after those bad puns, but now, I'm reinviting you."

"Is that even a word? Reinviting?"

Chris pushes Darren to the side. "Just come, okay?"

"I don't know. We don't want anybody asking questions."

"Friends come to each other's birthday parties," Chris sighs.

"Come to, or--?"

"I'll uninvite you again, Darren. Don't you dare."

"Fine. I'll go, but you keep setting me up. I have to take the bait."

Chris rolls his eyes and says, "No, you don't," before kissing him. "I'm getting in the shower."

"Ooh, can I _come?"_

Chris gets out of bed and flips him off, but then he stops in the doorway of his en suite bathroom. "If you want."

"You won't regret having me and my puns at your party."

"We'll see."

\----

Darren thinks Chris does regret it at first, because Chris glares at Darren the moment he walks in with his very beautiful, very _female,_ friend that Darren happens to have been sort of involved with on and off since college.

They've been mostly off since he and Chris started hooking up, but he let her tag along anyway.

He meets Chris on the roller rink and leaves his companion elsewhere.

"You didn't say I couldn't bring anyone," Darren yells to Chris over the music.

"You're allowed to date other people. Just don't throw it in my face."

Chris skates away from him, but Darren catches up quickly.

"I'm not dating her, not anymore. It doesn't matter, anyway." He catches Chris' wrist. "Look, we both know that what matters is what people see, even if neither of us give a fuck about that personally. It's part of the job."

"So it's your job to look like you're dating women."

"God, I can't believe--"

He wouldn't try to justify his actions to anyone else, but with Chris, he needs to. He can't have Chris pissed at him, not when he isn't sure how long it'll be until they see each other again, so he drags Chris away from the blinding lights of the rink and toward the bathroom.

"Darren, I'm gonna fall!"

"Then, take your fucking skates off!"

After they hobble into the tiny restroom, Darren locks the door and kneels in front of Chris to unlace his skates.

As soon as the skates are rolling toward the door, Darren carefully stands up, nearly on equal footing with Chris.

Darren speaks again once he braces his hands on Chris' shoulders. "I'm not fucking her, okay? And if I was, I wouldn't bring her here, because it's kind of against our rules, remember?"

Chris closes his eyes and only replies with a sigh.

"Look at me," Darren pleads. "You're the one who was worrying about what people would think."

Chris' eyes fly open. "And I got over it!" he yells. "Did you?"

"I never--"

"Then, why did you bring her?"

Darren could have ignored his people when they told him that they wanted him to sell a certain image, especially today, but he figured he'd appease them and go his own way later.

"She could have fun with your friends, while I have fun with you," is how Darren explains it to Chris.

"You sure it's not--?"

Darren quiets Chris' concern with a kiss, steadily squeezing Chris' shoulder with his hand and cupping the side of his face with the other.

"Whatever you think, it's not," Darren assures him, resting his forehead against Chris' own.

"Okay."

"Happy Birthday, Chris," he says after another kiss.

"Thanks."

"So, we're good, right?"

Chris grabs Darren's waist and takes Darren's bottom lip in his mouth, and then the top.

Darren responds by kissing him properly, and slipping his tongue inside, but then, he wobbles on his skates and has to break it.

"Yeah, we're good," Chris laughs. "See you out there?"

"If I don't break my ankle on the way out, yeah."

Darren gingerly steps aside to let Chris gather his skates and walk out.

Then, he grips the sink and looks in the mirror, hoping he doesn't screw up again.

\----

Thankfully, between Darren reading scripts for possible upcoming projects, working on Starkid stuff, and continually tweaking his own music, he really doesn't have the time to screw things up with Chris.

Not that there's anything to screw up; they're just screwing around, anyway.

That doesn't stop Darren from wondering how Chris is doing, and maybe _who_ he's doing.

He figures Chris is busy with his own stuff, though, looking for film distributors and preparing for his book tour.

So, Darren's surprised, and in the middle of scribbling down a lyric, when his phone beeps with a message from Chris.

_I'm leaving tomorrow._

Darren texts back:

_Oh really? Good luck on the tour._

Chris replies with:

_Thanks. Come over?_

Darren stops mid-strum and laughs as he types out:

_I don't know. Is this a booty call?_

Chris tells him:

_Maybe? ;)_

_Ahh. I see. The magical winky face. It won't work on me._

Chris counters with:

_What if I'm naked right now?_

_Be right over,_ Darren answers.

He sets down his guitar, puts away his scripts, and tries not to break any laws speeding over to Chris' house.

When he rings the bell, Chris is there, fully clothed in sweatpants and a Transformers t-shirt.

Darren glares, greeting him with, "You fucking liar."

"I said _'What if?'_ I didn't say I actually was."

"I hate you so much."

Chris smirks at him. "No, you don't. Come in."

Darren follows Chris to the living room, where a bowl of popcorn and boxes of candy sit on the coffee table.

They sit, and Darren wonders, "So, what are your real plans for your last night here before your big shot book tour?"

"Hmm, well, this was definitely a booty call, just to clarify, but first, we're gonna indulge in an entirely different way. Junk food and Harry Potter, or _Tangled,_ if you're in the mood for Disney."

"Junk food, Disney, _and_ orgasms? Stellar life choices. I'm glad you're including me," Darren says as he tosses a few kernels of popcorn in his mouth.

Chris smiles and gets up to put the DVD in. "I could've done those things by myself, but they wouldn't have been nearly as fun."

"Huh. I guess so," Darren replies as he shamelessly stares at Chris' ass, and thinks of Chris, alone, and naked, in his bed.

Chris squints at Darren, joining him back on the couch. "You just went somewhere. I can tell. What are you thinking about?"

His eyes trail up and down Chris' frame, from the shirt stretching too tightly over the muscles of his arms, to the sweatpants contouring his lean thighs. "You."

"Oh."

"Yeah. _Oh."_

Darren grins as he crosses the space between them and kisses him.

When they part, Darren has to ask, "How would you do it?"

Chris blinks back at him. "What?"

"Get yourself off," he remarks, his fingers dancing down Chris chest. "How would you do it?"

"I could, um, show you," Chris says, his eyes darkening to a brilliant blue-green.

"Fuck, yes."

Chris clears his throat, groping for the remote so he can mute the television, and then licking his own palm as he maintains eye contact with Darren.

Chris slips his pants down, spreading his now-exposed legs and pumping his semi-erect cock.

"I like it a lot slicker. Messier, usually, if I had the right lubrication with me," Chris breathes, starting a rhythm.

"Mmm," Darren murmurs, almost in a trance as he watches Chris' hand move over himself.

He wants to touch himself, too, but he doesn't want to miss a moment of this.

"If I have a lot of time," Chris closes his eyes, "I'll take it slow, strip off all my clothes, get in touch with my whole body. If not, I'll do it fast and rough."

Darren leans back to get a better view. "And now?"

Chris opens his eyes and takes his shirt off. He stops his ministrations to massage his nipples until they perk up.

Darren's cock springs to life, and he suddenly aches to lick Chris all over.

"Shit," Darren mutters, palming himself.

"Do it, Dare. Wanna see you."

Chris trails his fingers across his sternum and down his stomach, stilling to glance at Darren, who unzips his jeans.

"Yeah," Chris encourages, wrapping his hand around himself once again. "That's it."

"What do you think about?" Darren asks quietly, watching in delight while Chris strokes himself to full hardness.

Chris licks his lips and his eyes fall shut. "Lately, you. On me, in me, under me."

Darren finally pulls his boxers down and jerks himself off. "Yeah?"

Chris thumbs at the slit, humming in response.

Darren sidles closer to him, their naked thighs touching. "What am I doing?" he whispers in Chris' ear.

Chris uses the wetness from his thumb to slick up his shaft, and Darren can feel Chris' thigh begin to tremor.

"It depends. I remember the night we fucked, how you touched me and kept going after I was done. I--It hurt, but in a good way. I liked it. If I'm not there after thinking about that, I'll think about riding you. Ohh, ohhhh."

Darren strokes his own balls; they're tight and heavy in his hand. "We're gonna, _fuck,_ we are so gonna do that."

"Yeah, yess."

Chris' mouth drops open and his hips thrust up toward nothing while he curses and comes over his fist.

Darren works himself over a little more, and releases soon after that, losing himself in the expression on Chris' face.

Then, Darren sinks into the cushions. "Holy fuck."

"Don't quote me on this, but you're brilliant. That was not what I expected from tonight."

Darren half smiles at him. "Me neither, but, still good, right?"

Chris smiles back. "Oh, God, yes."

Good. You ready to pig out on junk food now?"

"Sure, if you didn't jizz in the popcorn."

"It adds flavor, Chris."

"You are the most ridiculous human being I have ever met."

Darren grabs a tissue from the end table next to the couch and cleans off his hands. Then he zips back up. "I'm glad you think so."

Chris chuckles as he cleans himself off and pulls his pants up. "I'm not going to miss you at all."

He dives back into the popcorn. "Aww, not even a little?"

"Nope."

Chris unmutes the movie and presses play with a smirk.

Darren bumps his shoulder against Chris'. "Yeah, okay."

He watches Chris as they watch the movie, and while listening to him debate the merit of reinventing fairy tales, he gets the sudden urge to drape his arm around Chris' shoulder, like some cheesy teenage date.

But he doesn't.

Instead, he joins the argument and tries not to get distracted by the fact that Chris is still shirtless.

He doesn't stay over either, leaving to let Chris sleep before he has to catch an early flight tomorrow.

"Don't be a stranger, now that you're a best-selling author," Darren jokes on the way out.

"I'm not a best-selling author, Dare."

"Not yet. Have fun and sell the hell out of that book."

"Wait."

Chris pulls him in for a kiss. "I will. You don't have too much fun while I'm gone."

"I'll be on my worst behavior," Darren murmurs against his lips.

"Right. Good night, Darren."

" 'Night."

Darren drives home, committing the taste of Chris' lips to his memory.

\----

While Chris is gone, Darren hangs out with friends, gets drunk, and even hooks up with an old girlfriend, but he just feels _off._

So he tries picking up a guy in a nightclub, and he feels a little better, at first. The guy is strong, and lean, with dark hair, and Darren enjoys the rough groping and kissing, which is enough to eventually get Darren off, but something is still lacking.

The next morning, he showers and wonders how Chris is.

Before Darren can think any further, his fingers fly across the screen of his phone. He hasn't even changed out of his towel yet when Chris' sleep-rough voice greets him with:

_"Hey. What's up?"_

"Nothing. I just--How are you doing?"

_"Amazing. Darren, there have been so many people who love the book. It's better than anything I could have imagined."_

"That's awesome, Chris. I knew you'd be successful. You're so fucking great at everything."

_"Yeah, the sales projections look good but we'll see. Fingers crossed."_

"If the projections are wrong, then I'll buy every copy."

_"I'd enjoy the support, Dare, but you didn't call me to talk business, did you?"_

"No," he sighs. "I want you. I miss touching you, and kissing you, and I can't stand that you're not here."

_"Are you trying to start something? Because I don't know if I have time to--"_

"No. Yes. I mean, maybe? I just want you to be back, because last time--"

 _"Oh, yeah, last time. Just think of that,"_ Chris' breath hitches, _"You barely even touched me, and that still worked out pretty well for both of us."_

He thinks of Chris' back arching and his jaw dropping as Chris came over his fist.

"You're right. You're a goddamn genius. Are you sure you don't have time?"

_"I could, um, fit you in, I guess. Move some things around?"_

"I appreciate the accommodation to your busy schedule, Mr. Colfer."

_"And I appreciate your continual need to flatter me, despite my insistence that I don't need it. I'm hardly a genius."_

"But you _are_ really fucking smart, and that's sexy as hell."

_"Yeah?"_

"Uh huh. To have this whole concept in your head since you were a kid, and to bring it to fruition is so amazing."

_"Mmm. Fruition. Stop that dirty talk."_

"So, a nice vocabulary gets you off, now that you've added novelist to your resume?"

_"Maybe. Maybe it's you."_

"I think we've already established that," Darren flirts, his voice dropping lower.

_"That we have. Maybe you can elaborate some more on the details?"_

There's a noise that sounds like shuffling on the other end, and then Darren answers, "You mean on how well I get you off, with my hands, or with my mouth?"

_"Either, mmphh, either one is good."_

"Wanna taste you again, so I would kneel between your legs, and I'd start by kissing your bare stomach, and then your thighs."

_"Yeah?"_

Darren's cock stirs beneath the thin material of his towel. "Mhmm. I'd just nuzzle there and and lick your balls."

 _"Dare,"_ he breathes.

"Then I'd suck on each one and crawl up to kiss you on the mouth."

_"Darren, please."_

Darren can't hold back from unfurling his towel and taking himself in hand. "Yeah, and then, I kiss your neck and down your chest, until I reach the head of your cock."

_"Ughh, yess."_

"Are you touching yourself, Chris?"

_"Fuck, yes. Wish it was you."_

Darren works his hand up and down, but it's too dry. "It will be, soon."

_"Mmm. What would you do next?"_

He finds the lube in his bedside drawer and jerks off properly. "I lick at the head, little, teasing licks, and kiss it. Then, I suck at it, while working my hand on the rest of your dick."

_"Unhh, yes."_

"But I know it's not enough, so I take more of you into my mouth and down my throat."

 _"Like that time in your trailer?"_ Chris punctuates with a grunt.

"Ohh, yeah. Ex--exactly," Darren stutters, the head of his cock dripping with pre-cum. "You taste so good. Fuck."

 _"God,"_ Chris whispers, _"you're already close, aren't you?"_

Darren hums in confirmation, carefully tucking his phone between his shoulder and his ear to get both hands on himself. "Are you?"

_"Sort of."_

"We'll have to work on that, then, won't we? I'd take you as deep as I can, to the base."

 _"Would you, unhh,"_ there's a squelching sound on Chris' end, _"would you let me fuck your mouth?"_

"Shit. Yeah, if that's what you want."

 _"I want. I always want. So,"_ Chris moans, _"I'd pull your hair, hard, and thrust into your mouth."_

"Oh, ohh, yes." He grabs at his wet curls and works over the slippery shaft, his mouth watering at Chris' suggestion.

 _"Darren, I--unhhh,"_ Chris says so quietly that Darren can barely hear.

The way Chris breathes it out is enough to make Darren come all over his fist.

When he collapses against his mattress, Chris asks, _"Are you...?"_

"I'm good. Really good," Darren laughs.

 _"Fuck you,"_ Chris utters without any trace of malice.

"What? Why?" Darren wonders while lazily cleaning off with his towel.

_"For being in Los Angeles and not in this crappy hotel room bed right now."_

"I'm sure it's far from crappy."

 _"You're right,"_ Chris sighs. _"Sorry. I gotta go. See you back at work?"_

Darren almost says no, because he wishes he could see Chris sooner, without the stifling presence of cameras or prying coworkers, but it's probably better if he doesn't, so he answers, "Yeah, of course."

\----

Darren talks with Chris on the phone, and texts him, for the rest of their summer break, but they don't see each other until filming starts up again.

Things between them aren't good or bad; they just are. They don't even talk about that on set, instead falling back into their easy friendship, and then occasionally falling into bed together after work or on the weekends.

If Chris isn't on a deadline (more often than not he is), they'll share a rushed breakfast, full of longing glances, but not goodbye kisses.

Sometimes they do share goodbye sex, though, like when Darren leaves for a fan convention where he'll appear with some Starkid friends.

Darren fucks Chris long and slow, but doesn't look him in the eye, instead attaches his mouth to the scar on Chris' neck, and leaves hickeys below Chris' collarbone, where, hopefully, no one else will see.

Chris wakes Darren right before the flight with a pre-redeye blowjob.

"So much better than Red Bull," Darren murmurs against Chris' lips before leaving him in his bed; he trusts Chris to lock up after him.

They'll meet again, for a location shoot in New York.

Darren draws his attention away from that, and focuses on catching up with old friends in Florida.

\----

On the flight to New York, Darren rereads the script, attempting to slide into the feelings he's supposed to have soon, but he's tired as fuck and still on a nostalgia high from getting back to his creative roots and sharing space with some of his favorite people.

He has the lines down cold, but they're still one step away from becoming a part of his heart and fracturing him, the way they should fracture Blaine, now that his love finally knows the truth.

He hopes he can work the scene out by the time they have to film.

It's a little easier when Darren hits wardrobe, and then hair and makeup, and then the stool beside Kurt (he's not Chris right now, the man who lets Darren taste himself on his tongue, he's Kurt, the man whose heart he's about to break).

They watch Lea and her new onscreen love interest shoot take after take of their song, Darren silent and wanting to remain with Blaine, even while the camera doesn't roll.

Lea coaxes Darren out a bit, though, when they set up for Blaine's piano solo on the stage.

"It's tweet time!" she chimes, sidling up next to him on the bench as he experiments with a melody.

He just chuckles and poses for a picture that she sends to all of her followers, and then returns to playing, "Teenage Dream" this time.

She gently places a comforting hand on his thigh. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, um, just this scene, y'know?" He remarks, focused on the keys.

"Mmm. Later tonight won't be any easier. 'S why I'm takin' pictures, laughing. Gotta step out of it for a little bit. I can't imagine--I don't even want to, but it's part of the job," she sighs. "Now I'm thinking again. Play something happy."

"I would, but I wanna get this right."

"Please. You could play 'Teenage Dream' in your sleep. Hmm, did you get _that_ right?" Lea smirks, her playful tone returning as she tilts her head toward Chris. "Tell me you did."

"I wanna get this _right,"_ Darren stresses again, a slight edge to his voice.

"You did, didn't you? Oh, my God. You both are sneaky bastards."

Darren glares at her.

"You're right. I shouldn't judge. I should let you get back to Blaine." Then, right before she leaves the stage, she leans in to whisper, "Whatever it is you and Chris have, don't squander it, okay?"

He doesn't answer, only gulps as her heels click after her.

He lets the words sit with him and it gives him the edge he needs when his fingers glide across the keys.

He's Blaine now, ringing the death knell of his relationship with the person who has mattered most to him in his young life.

His voice shakes throughout the song, and the feelings are difficult to shake, even as they break for lunch.

Chris smiles at him over his Diet Coke, and Darren smiles half-heartedly in return.

"You did a great job, Dare."

Darren swallows a bite of his sandwich and then replies, "Got a long fucking night ahead. The best is yet to come," he chuckles wryly.

\----

Darren doesn't talk to Chris on the way to Battery Park later that night, but Chris touches his knee, and it soothes Darren's frayed emotions.

While they wait for the crew to set up the lighting, Darren's able to feed off the small crowd of fans who have gathered to watch the filming, and it enlivens him a little more. He signs autographs, takes pictures with them, and even poses with Chris for a shot.

Then, Darren takes a deep breath, trying to get back to Blaine.

"Let's do this. We got this. _You've_ got this," Chris encourages as they head over to their marks.

But Darren flubs the first take, and Chris pats his arm.

"C'mon. You can do this," Chris reiterates.

Then, Chris screws up a line on the next take. "Apparently I can't do this, though," Chris laughs. "Shit, it's kinda chilly out here."

Darren instinctively reaches out, taking Chris' face in his hands. "Better?" Darren asks, staring into his clear blue eyes, and suddenly feeling rooted to the spot.

He _can_ do this.

"Yeah," Chris says so low that only they can hear. 

Someone clears their throat nearby and Darren's hands fall away. "Alright."

They get through the scene, but there are a few giggles coming from the crowd as Chris _(Kurt)_ runs off.

Chris makes light of it when they cut, joking that Darren's a bit flatulent today, so he ran away as fast as he could.

Darren quickly agrees, and the laugh turns to a roar before Darren presses a finger to his lips and the people quiet down.

The director still isn't satisfied with their performance, because they do four more takes, and by the last one, Darren can barely hold back tears as he confesses his betrayal into those tear-filled eyes.

Yet again, Darren is struck with how beautiful Chris looks, even as a hand flies over his mouth in feigned shock.

A couple more lines, and Chris is gone, slipping away, maybe forever.

Darren shakes his head.

It's Kurt, not Chris.

And Chris certainly is not his boyfriend.

When they call cut, Chris skips back, after taking a long drag of his third Diet Coke of the night.

"We did it. See? It was fine, yeah?"

Darren stares at Chris' flushed, expectant face, and Lea's words ring in his head.

_Don't squander it._

"We'll see, I guess," Darren tells him, snatching the opportunity to add, "Hey, later, do you wanna, um--?"

Chris leans his head down slightly to whisper in Darren's ear, "Meet up? Yeah, sure."

"Good. I wouldn't mind getting reacquainted with you." Darren grins and squeezes Chris' forearm.

Chris glances down at the touch, his eyes darkening as he looks back up at Darren. "I look forward to it."

"Me, too."

\----

Their reacquaintance doesn't take long, because just seconds after Chris lets Darren into his room, Darren grips Chris' hips and backs him up against the wall, greeting him with a searing kiss.

He mouths along Chris' jaw and down his neck. "Tell me you brought stuff," Darren breathes before latching onto the raised scar on Chris' neck.

Chris groans. "Uh huh."

Darren nudges at Chris' groin with his knee, feeling the shape of him through their layers of soft sleep pants.

Chris' legs part easily, and his hands grope at Darren's ass, causing Darren to roll his hips forward.

"Good," Darren moans. "Don't wanna waste any time. Wanna fuck you."

"Unhh, yess."

Chris rucks up Darren's shirt, skimming his fingers along Darren's spine. Then, Chris brings his leg up to wrap around the small of Darren's back and kisses his mouth once more.

When Chris slips his tongue inside, Darren kisses back, hard, cupping Chris' face with one hand and reaching into Chris' sweatpants to stroke his bare cock.

"Wanna fuck you right here," Darren confesses when they part to catch their breath.

"Okay. Yeah. 'M already open."

"You--What?"

"Was waiting for you. Thinkin' of you."

Darren runs a thumb across Chris' cheekbone. "You're un-fucking-believable."

Chris smirks at him. "Don't wanna waste any time."

It wouldn't have been a waste of time, to have his hands on Chris ( _in_ Chris) longer, but he won't argue when Chris is already willing and waiting for him.

"Condoms?" Darren asks while Chris peppers kisses along his neck.

"Toward the top of my carry on," Chris murmurs breathlessly. "Wait. Lemme..."

Chris trails off, shoving his hand past Darren's pants and boxers to get a hand on his cock.

"Need to touch you," Chris continues.

The touch is dry and rough, but it's so good that Darren considers forgetting his whole plan and just jerking each other off until they're both satisfied.

Then Darren remembers how Chris felt clenching around him, so much hotter and tighter than his fist.

"Need to fuck you," Darren exclaims, interrupting Chris' movements with a light touch to Chris' hand.

"Mmm, lube's on the nightstand," he replies, his hands falling away from Darren's body.

Darren shucks off his pants and underwear, and quickly finds the aforementioned items in their places.

He turns back to Chris, who's now naked from the waist down, hand on his cock, well on his way to looking thoroughly fucked.

Darren pauses, his hand tight around the condom, and wonders why Chris even has them when their trip here was focused on work. "Fuck. Did you plan this?"

When Darren approaches, Chris kisses him fiercely. "Nope. Didn't plan any of it, for anyone, but we're here now, yeah? Fuck me, Darren."

"Yeah, yeah."

Darren kisses him, worry replaced with want as Chris takes the lube from Darren's hand.

Then, Darren pulls away reluctantly to slip on the condom, and Chris strokes him again, adding some lube to make the slide even easier.

He guides himself into Chris' tight, wet, perfect heat in one thrust, and he has to force himself not to start fucking into him right then.

"You can, Dare. C'mon. Want you to."

Darren moves, drawing a long, low moan from Chris.

"Harder. Yesss," Chris encourages, taking himself in hand.

After one long, slow drag, Darren obliges him, pushing in and pulling out faster. Then, he bats Chris' hand away and jerks him off.

"Fuck you," Chris spits out before biting Darren's bottom lip. "I can--"

"I got you, Chris." He hoists up the back of Chris' thigh with his other hand.

Chris takes the hint and wraps his legs around Darren's waist, crying out with the change in angle.

"Yeah, that's it," Darren whispers, slamming in harder, and when Chris moans Darren's name, Darren's nearly gone.

But he strokes Chris quicker, in time with his thrusts, and makes sure his eyes are open to witness Chris releasing all over his hand and staining their shirts.

Chris' legs shake, so Darren grips his hips and fucks into his spent body.

Chris looks so tired, but so blissed out when his head lolls against the wall, and just the knowledge that _he_ did that makes Darren spill into the condom with a grunt.

Chris, still shaking, starts to slide down the wall, and Darren has barely enough strength to catch him.

"Got you," Darren repeats, laughing as his cock slips out.

Chris kisses Darren's shoulder through his shirt. "Yeah, guess so."

"Bed?"

"Mmm. Rough day. Need a shower."

"I don't think we can stand anymore. Let's go to bed."

They carefully wobble over to Chris' bed, with Darren steadying an arm around Chris' waist.

Darren ties off and tosses the spent condom somewhere on the floor, and then peels his dirty shirt off. He kneels on the bed and helps Chris out of his shirt, too.

"Be right back," Darren tells him, stretching his sore muscles as he walks to the bathroom to get a damp cloth.

It _had_ been a rough day, and Chris definitely improved it; Chris always seems to improve on those kind of days lately.

It must be the phenomenal sex.

Yeah, that's it.

He returns to the bed and wipes Chris down, and then himself, chucking the towel on the floor before gingerly laying next to Chris.

"Can I stay here?" Darren asks as he looks over at Chris, who's already shut his eyes.

"Sure," Chris mumbles, face down on the mattress, his cheek pressing against the pillow.

"Cool."

Darren lays on his side, admiring Chris' sleeping form, and wants to curl up next to him, which isn't really against their rules, but it feels like it could be.

Besides, Chris likes his space, so Darren moves in as close as he can without their bodies touching; instead, he lightly runs his fingers down Chris' back.

Chris hums in response, so Darren smiles and kisses Chris' shoulder before laying flat on his back and drifting off.

\----

Darren wakes up first, bleary-eyed and disoriented, until he sees Chris and remembers what happened after filming last night.

Chris blinks at him moments later. " 'Morning."

"G'morning," Darren greets him in a gruff voice. "How'd you sleep?"

"Mmm, pretty good." Chris winces as he turns on his side to face Darren. "Still a little sore."

"Sorry," Darren apologizes, his eyes fluttering closed.

Chris reaches out to cup Darren's cheek. "Don't. It was totally worth it, Dare, even if I'll be squirming on the plane ride back.

Darren opens his eyes and leans in close. "You'll remember that I did that."

"Mmm hmm," Chris confirms, and then Darren swoops in to kiss him on the mouth.

Chris moans into it and kisses back before something's beeping, and he has to pull away.

"Shit. I have to get ready for my flight," Chris tells him, but Darren kisses him again.

"Right now?" Darren questions, trailing his mouth down Chris' neck until he finds that spot he first discovered last night.

"Oh, ohhh," Chris moans. "I guess it can wait. But not too long."

As Darren presses closer, he reaches his hand between them. "Better make it quick, then, yeah?"

"Unhh, Dare, I--"

But Darren kisses him quiet and strokes Chris' already half-hard cock.

Chris kisses him harder, awkwardly groping behind him until he's holding the bottle of lube and nudging Darren's hand.

Darren takes the hint, and the bottle, from him, remembering how Chris once said he likes it messy, a contradiction to everything else he knows about this man.

It fascinates Darren, but he doesn't dwell on it; instead, he heavily coats his fingers in the slick substance and wraps his hand around Chris, and himself, as much as he can.

They're both hot and heavy in his hand, and Chris feels so good against him, that it might be over embarrassingly quickly.

When Darren swipes his thumb over their slits on a rough upstroke, Chris moans, dropping his forehead to Darren's shoulder.

"Yeah, that's it, baby," Darren murmurs, the affectionate term slipping out unbidden.

Luckily, Chris is too far gone to care or notice as he kisses Darren's shoulder, and then sucks at it, hard.

"Fuck," Darren grunts low in Chris' ear, and he feels Chris start to shake, so he keeps the pace, until Chris spills over his fist and punctures Darren's skin.

Darren curses, coming soon after that, and letting go of their softening cocks to catch his breath.

"Need to shower, alone," he hears Chris whisper.

" 'Kay," Darren replies, rolling onto his back.

A few moments later, he watches Chris walk to the bathroom, ignoring the weird sense of loss he feels now that the bed is empty.

He wipes his hand on the sheet and quickly dresses. Then, he debates ducking into the bathroom to say goodbye, but he knows he wouldn't be able to resist starting something again.

Darren has his own flight to catch, too, after all, so he leaves without a word, looking ahead to when they'll get the chance to be together again.

\----

Darren stays away from Chris purposely, though, despite the near constant pull to always remain in his orbit.

They're still filming the breakup episode, and Darren wants to be in the right headspace for it, or at least that's what he tells himself.

However, guilt and self-loathing trickles into his bloodstream throughout the week, and he can't seem to shake it, even after the camera stops rolling.

Chris is the first person that Darren thinks of running to for solace; he would understand. They’ve been nurturing their onscreen relationship for nearly two years, and they are the ones who have to live through the emotional fallout.

Despite the way Chris plays it off, Darren can’t imagine that his screen partner is taking it much better than he is.

Once Darren is in his own clothes and has freed his hair from its gel prison, he drives over to Chris' place, the rain pouring heavily over him as he slams on the front door.

Chris’ eyes widen in shock when he sees him, but, then, a small smile forms on his lips. "Hi."

"Hey."

Darren smiles back and as soon as Chris lets him in, he cups the side of Chris' face and pulls him in for a kiss.

All the residual angst falls away just like that, and suddenly, he doesn't need to talk.

He needs Chris.

"To what do I owe this surprise visit?" Chris wonders breathlessly.

"No reason. It's been a little while since we, uh, y'know."

"Yeah. I know."

"So," Darren starts, his thumb stroking the delicate skin under Chris' eye.

"So, you wanna...?" Chris swallows and trails off.

"Yeah. Whatever it is, yes."

"Whatever, huh?"

"Mmhmm," Darren murmurs, dragging his hand down to the bottom of Chris' shirt and pushing beneath the thin material to get at bare skin. "I'm open to any and all possibilities."

"Hmm, we should take this upstairs, then."

"I definitely like where this is going so far."

Chris takes his hand, pulling him up to the bedroom, where he quickly strips Darren of his jeans and underwear, but he doesn't follow suit.

"What are you doing?" Darren wonders, fully exposed, as Chris' eyes hungrily rake over him.

Chris licks his lips. "Spread your legs, and trust me."

Darren's heart beats quickens while he bends his knees and plants his feet flat on the bed.

"I have been wanting to do this for so long," Chris admits as he kneels between Darren's legs.

He crawls on top of Darren's chest and kisses his mouth, brushing his lips over Darren's jaw. 

Then, Chris stops to whisper, "Gonna eat you out."

Darren feels his cock twitching in response as he ekes out, "O-okay."

Chris rids Darren of his shirt, and mouths down Darren's neck and shoulder, until he changes tactics, swirling his tongue around a dusky, pink nipple.

"Fuck," Darren curses, grabbing Chris' hair and bucking into the touch.

Chris sucks at the spot and wetly drags his lips across Darren's chest, and then gives the other nipple the same treatment.

"Ugh," Darren groans when the rough material of Chris' pants brush over his bare cock. "C'mon."

Chris looks up at him after pulling off, blue eyes growing dark with arousal. "Trust me," he repeats.

Darren nods, and Chris kisses down the middle of his chest.

"Have you ever done this before?" Chris asks, his breath hot over Darren's erection.

"No. I've done other oral things," Darren grins, remembering the desperate trailer blow job he gave Chris back in the spring, "but not this."

"Has anyone ever done it to you?"

"Nope."

Darren shivers as Chris scoots back in wonder.

"I'm the first, then?"

Darren nods in response, though Chris can't see.

"Yeah," Darren replies, his hands gripping the sheets with the urge to touch himself. For some reason, he doesn't want to just yet.

Darren's had a lot of firsts in his sex life, but the enormity of trusting Chris with this one isn't lost on him.

He tries not to settle on it, though, breathing in deep as Chris gives tiny licks to his balls, and then sucks on each one.

"Shit," Darren says quietly while Chris moves up his shaft and sucks at the head before pulling off with a wet pop.

Chris glances back up, his heavenly mouth red and shining with saliva. "Can you, um, turn over?"

"Yeah."

He lets Chris move out of the way and then obliges, the cool air of the room blowing over his backside.

"Lift up a little," Chris commands.

Darren gets on all fours, leaving his ass high in the air.

"Not what I meant, but wow, this works, too," Chris mutters.

There's a sharp sting against one of Darren's ass cheeks as Chris bites down on it.

Darren gasps in pain-pleasure, the sensation shooting straight to his cock.

Chris licks and nibbles across the cheek until he reaches Darren's asshole.

Darren feels a slight, dry pressure on his rim, but then, it's gone, replaced with a sucking over his asshole. It's a little weird, at first, so exposed and unable to see what Chris is doing, but the wet, flat press of what he assumes is Chris' tongue already feels so good.

It only gets better when there's a slurping sound against him, and Chris licks the underside of his balls before returning his attention back to Darren's ass, kissing over the hole.

"Oh, fuck, Chris," he grunts out, clutching the sheets tight as Chris' tongue penetrates him.

He jerks himself off with one hand while Chris spreads him open even further, undoubtedly burying his face in between his cheeks, because his nose grazes Darren's crack.

Chris alternates between licks and sucks, kissing his way up to the lowest knob of Darren's spine before coming back down again and pressing his tongue inside again.

Darren jerks faster, his other arm shaking with the effort to stay upright.

Chris sucks harder, pausing to nip at Darren's unmarred ass cheek and then returning to his asshole.

While Darren smears the precome over the head of his cock, he can feel the spit dripping down his crack and maybe it should be gross, but it's actually one of the hottest, most intimate experiences ever.

With one last lick, Darren spills over his fist and the sheets, his knees trembling as he comes down.

He finally splays out flat onto the mattress, not even caring about the sticky mess while Chris' bare cock nudges at his ass crack.

"Are you--?" Darren starts to asks, not moving. "When did you--?"

"Take my clothes off?" Chris finishes, sounding far away. "Just now. You were a little busy. I'm gonna...against you, if that's okay."

"Oh my God, yes," Darren chimes enthusiastically, letting Chris rub off against his ass.

Darren's cock twitches with oversensitiveness as soon as Chris' come streaks his back.

"Fuck, I think I'm stuck to this bed," Darren mumbles into the pillow, "but I don't think I ever wanna get up."

"Do you want me to call in to work for you?" He licks up Darren's spine. "Imagine that for a second. _'Yeah, uh, Darren can't come in anymore, ever. He's trapped in my sheets.' "_

"Not a bad, unhh, excuse. I'd need you to keep me alive with food and orgasms, though. Big responsibility. Wait, that sounds like you're an axe murderer or something. _Jesus, I can't--"_ he twitches again as Chris sucks at his shoulder. "Not yet."

"Old man. Your stamina sucks," Chris chuckles, laying next to him.

Darren turns his cheek toward Chris and grins. "Gimme a few minutes, and I'll show you how much my stamina sucks, you young whippersnapper."

"I'm holding you to that, Dare. Right after I clean up this mess."

After a few moments, Chris gets up and goes into the bathroom.

Darren can't help thinking that starting a physical relationship with Chris has to be the best decision he ever made.

\----

Darren arrives on set early the next morning despite barely sleeping, his spirits high from spending the rest of the night with Chris.

He runs into Lea, who's clutching a coffee cup in front of the craft services table.

"Wow, you look exhausted, even more than usual, so why are you smiling?" She takes a sip of her coffee, raising her eyebrows suggestively. "Ooh, did _you-know-who_ keep you up late last night?"

"I had a good time. That's all I'm gonna tell you," Darren says casually, reaching for a bagel.

She follows him as he grabs a packet of cream cheese and a knife. "But were you with Chris?"

Darren sits on a nearby bench and grins. "Maybe."

Lea sits next to him, and then gasps. "You like him, don't you?"

He blushes when he looks down, carefully spreading the topping over his bagel. " 'Course I do. How could anyone _not_ like him?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Darren. You know _exactly_ what I mean."

"Yeah, I do, but I don't wanna talk about it, okay?" He glances up at her, but quickly looks away again. "I don't wanna fuck it up."

"Ah, I totally get it. Been there. It's really special, and you don't wanna break that bubble, where it's just the two of you, and everything seems perfect, right?"

He looks back up and smiles gently at Lea, who's genuinely beaming now.

"I hope everything works out between you two," Lea tells him as she looks across the parking lot when a car door slams shut, signaling the arrival of a certain someone.

"I hope so, too," he replies to her disappearing figure, while she bounces toward the direction of the sound.

He smiles at the reunited lovers, wondering whether or not his future with Chris holds the same fate.

\----

Playing a less optimistic Kurt-less Blaine doesn't help in assuaging his worries, however. He still continues his relationship with Chris as it for the next month or so, remembering how Chris had laughed off the idea of Darren falling in love with him.

Darren has to convince him that it could happen, because he's fairly certain it already has.

He catches Chris by the wrist while he's on the way out of the makeup trailer, and Chris is on his way in.

"Hey," Darren grins softly at him, rubbing his thumb over Chris' pulse.

Chris beams back at him. "Hi."

God, he is so, so in love. Why didn't he see it sooner?

"You wanna come over tonight?" Darren suggests.

"Yes," Chris answers right away.

"Good. See you whenever you wrap?"

"Yeah. I'll text you to make sure you're home."

"Okay. Even if you're dead tired, just come over. We'll do something anyway." Darren shrugs.

"Something," Chris winks, dropping his arm from Darren's hold. "Got it."

Darren laughs. "See you then."

He stops short of saying, _"It's a date."_

\----

Luckily, Darren wraps earlier than scheduled for once, and heads straight for the shower when he arrives home.

He gets out and looks in the mirror, his hands shaking as he applies cologne.

Why is he so nervous? It's Chris. No big deal.

Except it is a big deal, and what he's going to tell Chris will change everything.

He takes a deep breath and changes into a comfortable t-shirt and jeans that are tight but not too tight, when his phone beeps with a text from Chris.

_I'm coming over in a few. I'll bring Chinese if you want._

Darren texts back, smiling at his screen:

_You're the best. Get me General Tso's chicken?_

Then, he adds:

_P. S. You're the guest. I should be providing food for you._

Chris replies:

_Have food, will travel. Besides, you owe me a free meal now. ;)_

_Ahh, I understand your evil methods now,_ Darren answers. _See you soon. Be safe._

Chris responds with _, I will,_ and a smiley face at the end.

Chris shows up at Darren's door, a full takeout bag in his arms, and Darren can't help greeting him with a kiss.

"Wh--" Chris starts, blinking at him in surprise, much like that day back in the spring that started this thing between them.

"Hi," Darren says quietly.

"Hi," Chris answers, pecking Darren's lips quickly again before brushing past him to the living room. "I got you a ton of soy sauce packets and a extra pint of rice, so you don't try to steal mine."

"I'm stealing some of yours anyway." Darren stands next to him in front of the couch and waits for Chris to drop the food onto the coffee table before leaning in for another kiss. "Missed you."

"It's only been a few days since we--"

"Don't care." He wraps his arms around Chris' middle and presses his head to Chris' chest. "Still missed you."

"I missed you, too." Chris clears his throat. "So, um, are we watching a movie?"

Darren flops down onto the couch. "After we eat, yeah. Your pick."

" 'Kay." Chris digs into the paper bag and pulls out his container and a pair of chopsticks. "And then?" He opens up the container, deftly unwraps his chopsticks, and swallows a bite of lo mein.

Darren stretches into Chris' space while reaching for his food. "We'll see where the night takes us."

Chris chuckles.

Then, Darren greedily scarfs down a few bites of his chicken, and looks over at Chris, who's slurping his noodles.

This feels so right, and familiar, almost like they've been doing it for years, because they have, without the sex.

But, now, Darren can enjoy _this,_ and the taste of Chris' sweet, hot mouth, too.

He wants both of these aspects with Chris; he wants everything.

"What? You're staring," Chris grins, a beautiful flush on his face.

"I love you," he blurts out.

Chris nearly chokes. "I,um, you, uh--What?"

"I love you. I didn't mean to tell you like this, but, fuck, I love you."

"You don't have to say that. Just because we're fucking doesn't mean you--"

"I do, and it's not because of the sex, although that _is_ fantastic. I really care about you, and over the last few months, you've given me the privilege of getting to know your body. But I enjoy your mind, too, Chris, and I want both. If you'll let me have them."

Chris studies Darren's face. "You're serious about this."

Darren sets his food on the table. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're you."

"Are you saying that I can't be serious about things? Because I--"

"That's not what I mean, Darren," Chris snaps.

"Look, this isn't some experiment, if that's what you mean. I know what I feel, Chris."

"This--this wasn't part of our agreement," Chris stammers as he slowly puts down his food on the table next to Darren's.

Darren rests his hand on Chris' wrist. "Yes, it was, if I remember correctly. If we developed feelings, we'd talk about them, right? Well, I'm talking."

Chris gulps. "You--How?"

"Because you're you," Darren laughs. "Seriously. I don't care about anyone else. I don't _want_ anyone else, not since we started. Maybe even before that. I'm through denying what's been right in front of me for so long. You have to feel something, too."

"It's not that easy, y'know," Chris says quietly, pointedly not meeting Darren's pleading gaze. "If it was, I would have said something years ago."

"So, you--?"

"Yes, I--Yes. For the longest time, you were untouchable." Chris looks up. "And then, you weren't, and I didn't know what to do with that. I _don't_ know what to do with that."

He flips Chris' arm over and presses his lips to the pulse point of Chris' wrist. "Be with me."

"I--"

"Don't think about it. Just be with me."

Darren nuzzles at the base of Chris' neck, and then kisses behind his ear. "Be with me. We can do this."

"I don't--"

"Shh. This part, we know how to do. We can figure out the rest as we go, yeah?"

Darren straddles Chris' lap, and takes Chris' face in his hands.

"Be with me?" Darren repeats. "Please."

Chris kisses him, and then breaks away, resting his forehead against Darren's. "Yeah. Okay."

Darren sighs happily into another kiss, dragging his lips over Chris' jaw and down his neck. "It's only you. Only you, Chris. Lemme..." He trails off, his hands finding the familiar bare skin of Chris' torso.

"Your room," Chris finishes. "Take me to your room."

"Yeah." He gets up unsteadily, taking Chris' hand and leading him there. Nerves course through him, like it's their first time all over again.

Chris lies on his bed, and then removes his own shirt. Darren stands at the foot of the mattress and does the same.

"Do you want me to, um--?" Darren starts.

Chris leans up on his elbows with a shy smile. "Whatever you want."

"Okay." He smiles back, crawling on top of Chris. "Hi."

"Hey yourself."

Darren cups Chris' cheek and kisses him. "Oh my God, we're really doing this."

Chris hikes his leg up Darren's waist. "Yeah, I think we are."

They grind together, content to kiss lazily, until Darren mouths down Chris' neck, carefully tracing over his sensitive scar, and then making his way down Chris' chest.

"Can I--?" Darren asks, playing with Chris' waistband.

"Yeah," Chris answers breathlessly.

Barely a moment later, Darren unzips Chris' pants and shimmies them down his legs.

He can't resist running a finger over the wet spot at the front of Chris' underwear.

"Fuck," Darren curses, slipping Chris' underwear down his legs and diving down to lick at the head of his cock. Then, he sucks at it in earnest while wrapping a hand around the base.

"Ugh, Dare," he groans, clutching at Darren's curls.

Darren glances up through his eyelashes, pulling off with a wet pop. "Sorry. Got a little distracted."

"Don't you dare fucking apologize for that."

Darren kisses at the slit and grins. "I will, 'cause that was not my intention. You're kinda hot when you're pissed off."

Chris glares at him. "Shut up and get naked."

"Oh, is this how it's gonna be?" Darren wonders, but obliges him anyway.

"Maybe. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all," Darren says as he kneels on the bed between Chris' legs, thinking he might need to further explore how Chris' commanding tone made his cock twitch in pleasure at some point.

"Good. Now, c'mere and kiss me."

"Gladly."

Darren does, seeking out Chris' dick with one hand and blindly rifling through his nightstand with the other.

Miraculously, he finds what he's looking for on both accounts, dropping the lube and a condom on the bed beside them.

Chris reaches between them, covering Darren's hand with his own. "Wanna touch you, too," Chris murmurs against his lips.

"Not gonna last. Wanna--inside you, if that's okay."

"Yes."

Chris drops his hand to the bed, complete trust in his eyes.

It makes Darren heart swell.

He grabs the bottle of lube and coats his fingers with it, and then he presses inside with one.

Chris lets out a yelp of surprise. Then he babbles, "Oh, ohh, _more."_

Darren only presses harder, until Chris cries out louder, so he pulls out and adds another. "You know I've got you," Darren assures him.

Chris just nods, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Hey, look at me," Darren urges, never stopping the movement of his fingers.

Chris' eyes fly open and he grunts out, "Don't stop."

"I said I got you." He kisses Chris' shoulder, and inserts a third finger.

"C'mon. _Now."_

"Alright, alright."

Darren pulls his fingers out and wipes them on the sheet, suddenly aware of his own arousal. He gathers the condom, ripping it open with his teeth and quickly sliding it on.

He grips Chris' hips and pushes inside.

"Unhh, yess," Chris groans, causing Darren to push in a little further.

Then, Darren's fully seated inside, and it's so difficult not to just thrust into that tight, perfect heat and find his release.

Still, he waits, checking Chris' face for any signs of pain.

"Touch me," Chris finally tells him.

He starts to move, one hand drifting to Chris' cock as he pulls out a bit and thrusts back in. He needs to kiss Chris then; it's like completing a full circuit, everything falling into place while their lips press together and he rocks his hips forward and back.

Chris slips his tongue in Darren's mouth, mimicking the movement of Darren's cock inside him.

Darren thrusts harder and jerks Chris faster, willing him to get there.

Chris wraps his legs around the small of Darren's back and breaks away to catch his breath.

"Fuck. Yeah, Darren. Right there."

"Chris. C'mon, baby."

The term slips out, like before, as easy as breathing, and Chris comes shortly after that, a quiet moan falling from his lips.

Darren fucks without abandon into Chris' spent body, and then kisses the corner of his mouth. "Ugh, I love you so fucking much," he proclaims before spilling into the condom and collapsing on top of him.

They lay there in silence for a few moments, until Darren breaks it.

"You don't need to say it back yet," he whispers into Chris' collarbone. "If you don't--"

"I do," Chris answers, "and I will, eventually. I need some time."

Darren gently pulls out and rolls away from him to dispose of the condom somewhere on his floor. "It's okay. Take it. I'll be here."

He reaches over Chris for tissues and smiles, cleaning off Chris' belly and softening cock.

Chris winces, but grins sleepily at him. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. Thank _you_ for agreeing to be with me."

Darren tosses the tissues and settles his head on Chris' chest, right over his slowing heart.

"It wasn't supposed to go like that. Tonight, I mean," Darren goes on, his fingers dancing across Chris' tummy.

"Do things ever go the way they're supposed to?"

"Yeah, I'd like to think they do. It still worked out pretty well."

Chris brushes his fingertips along Darren's shoulder. "Huh. I guess so, even if it took a bit of time to get there, for both of us."

"Not really. I'd say you came pretty fast," Darren chuckles, and then Chris taps his foot against Darren's ankle in retaliation.

"Hey, no, but seriously, we're working on it, and now we're a little closer to where we wanna be," Darren continues.

"How do you weasel your way out of such douchey comments with such eloquence?"

"It's a fucking gift. I'm sure you'll discover all my other hidden talents."

Chris grabs Darren's hand and rolls them over so Darren's underneath him.

"Oh, yeah?" Chris asks. "Do they include letting our Chinese food get cold?"

"We'll eat it later, babe. I kind of can't move because _someone's_ got a hold on me."

"Well, when you can, you're getting it because it's your fault it's over there and not in here."

"Are we having our first fight? Because you know what comes after that." Darren smiles at him and waggles his eyebrows.

"We'll see. Go get my noodles."

Darren pushes Chris off of him and gets up, turning when he makes it to the door. "At least I know that's not code for something else."

"So this is how it's going to be?" he calls after Darren's retreating form. "Lucky me."

Darren comes back with two containers in his hands and plants a soy-soaked kiss on Chris' cheek. "Yes, lucky you, and lucky me."

They eat their food in bed together, and Darren does steal Chris' rice, some of his noodles, and maybe his fortune cookie when Chris isn't looking.

They make it a tradition on their date night, so next time, Chris orders extra of everything.

He still shivers in surprise when Darren kisses him at the door, and only smiles softly when an _"I love you"_ accompanies it.

Darren can practically see the words forming on the tip of Chris' tongue and for now, that's enough.

Darren knows it's better than where they were, and that where they're heading will be even more amazing.


End file.
